Do Calorie-Free Sweeteners Impact Your Blood Sugar? Here’s What Dietitians Say

People like calorie-free sweeteners because they satisfy their sweet tooth without adding calories. These are often found in diet drinks, sugar-free sweets, and syrups, among other things.

Sugar-free sweeteners can help you eat less sugar, but they might not have the simple effect on blood sugar levels that they seem to have. You can make an informed choice about adding them to your diet if you know how they work and what risks they might pose.

What Are Calorie-Free Sweeteners?

Nonnutritive sweeteners (NNSs), which are also called calorie-free sweeteners, are additives that add sweetness without adding calories. People who want to cut back on calories often choose these sweets because they are often used to lower the amount of sugar in foods and drinks.

Sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose, and stevia are well-known for not having any calories. It’s possible that these chemicals are thousands or hundreds of times sweeter than normal sugars like sucrose.

They are 200 to 20,000 times sweeter than sugar, which means you only need a very small amount to make something sweet. Therefore, you can find them in many sugar-free foods and drinks, like beers, sweets, and syrups.

How do sugar substitutes affect blood sugar?

The body does not turn calorie-free sweeteners into glucose like it does with sugar. They don’t change into sugar in the gut system, so they don’t have the same effect on blood sugar levels. Research has shown that sugars like aspartame and sucralose don’t have much of an effect on blood sugar.

Sugar substitutes without calories are a good choice for people with diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. These sweeteners help people control their blood sugar and insulin levels because they help them eat less sugar without raising their blood sugar.

But it’s important to remember that different types of calorie-free sweets can have different effects on blood sugar. According to Trista Best, M.P.H., RD, most sweets won’t directly raise blood sugar, but there is proof that some of them may change how the body responds to insulin or how it controls hunger.

Possible health risks to think about

Calorie-free sweets might seem like the best way to cut down on sugar, but they can also be harmful. Some people say that using fake sweets makes them feel bad, like giving them headaches or stomachaches. For example, aspartame has been linked to headaches and other slight side effects in some people.

Besides these instant effects, there is also rising worry that eating certain sweeteners on a daily basis may have an effect on gut health.

There are some studies that say calorie-free sweets might be bad for the microbiome, which is the group of bacteria that live in the digestive system. Having a bad gut bacteria has been linked to many health problems, like digestive issues and metabolic diseases.

A lot of people who eat these sweets have also asked what part they play in metabolic syndrome, a health problem marked by high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and abnormal cholesterol levels. It’s best to be careful with calorie-free sweets because the study on these risks is still mixed, especially since a lot of it has been done on animals.

Key to Success: Moderation

Similar to many other food chemicals, how calorie-free sweeteners affect you depends on how much you eat. RD and CDCES Erin Palinski-Wade says that most people can safely eat a modest amount of calorie-free sweets. However, eating a lot of them might make your stomach hurt and cause other health problems.

One of the most important things to think about when using calorie-free sweets is how they change the way you eat. For some people, these sweeteners help them control their sweet tooth and keep them from eating too many sugary foods. For others, though, they might make them want more sweet foods, which can lead to more sugar urges and bad eating habits.

Natural Ways to Add Sweetness

You don’t have to use fake sweeteners or sugar to enjoy sweetness; there are many natural options available. Flavors from bananas, applesauce, and prunes can be blended to make baked goods sweeter without adding sugar.

For people who want to cut back on sugar, these fruit-based options are a better choice because they not only sweeten food but also add fiber and important nutrients.

You can naturally cut down on sugar by trying desserts that don’t have any added sugar and use natural ingredients to add taste. You can enjoy sweet treats while following this healthy eating plan with these recipes.

The Bottom Line

You can enjoy the taste of sweetness with calorie-free sweets instead of regular sugar, which can cause your blood sugar to rise. Not only that, but they have a more complicated effect on health than it seems. Even though most sweets don’t raise blood sugar, some may have small effects on insulin sensitivity, hunger control, and gut health.

Most people shouldn’t have much of a problem with using calorie-free sweets in moderation. It is important to keep an eye on how these sweets change your body and the way you eat, though. If you are worried about adding artificial sugars to your diet, you should always talk to a doctor or a trained dietitian first.

By limiting these sweets and looking into natural options, you can make choices that are better for your health without giving up sweetness.